John Lennon & Yoko Ono: Power to the People Box Set

A monumental new box set, Power to the People, will be released on October 10 via Universal Music Group, documenting John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s early New York years with a powerful mix of music and activism. The collection coincides with what would have been Lennon’s 85th birthday, offering fans an in-depth look at his most politically charged era.

A Political and Musical Journey

The 12-disc Super Deluxe Edition of Power to the People includes nine CDs and three Blu-ray discs, featuring 123 tracks in total—90 of them previously unreleased. The recordings capture Lennon and Ono’s New York period from December 1969 through August 1972, when their music was inseparably linked to their activism. Highlights include Lennon’s appearance at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor in December 1971, along with home recordings from New York’s St. Regis Hotel, where he revisited classic rock ’n’ roll hits that shaped his early career.

The set also offers a newly remixed and reimagined version of Lennon and Ono’s 1972 album Some Time in New York City, giving listeners a fresh perspective on a controversial yet defining work.

The One to One Concerts

Among the most significant inclusions are the legendary One to One Concerts at Madison Square Garden in 1972—Lennon’s only full-length concerts after the Beatles’ breakup. Performed with the Plastic Ono Band and their collaborators Elephant’s Memory, these shows were more than live music; they were statements of grassroots politics, as Yoko Ono writes in the preface. She recalls the concerts as “Rock for Peace and Enlightenment,” noting that the Madison Square Garden performance would ultimately be the last concert Lennon and Ono shared on stage together.

Collaborations and Legacy

Power to the People also showcases Lennon and Ono’s collaborations with key figures of the era. Contributions from Frank Zappa and the Mothers, David Peel and the Lower East Side, and folk singer Phil Ochs emphasize the spirit of New York’s radical counterculture scene. Sean Ono Lennon spearheaded the production of the box set, ensuring that his parents’ legacy of music and activism is preserved for a new generation.

For fans and historians alike, Power to the People is not just a music release—it’s a cultural document that captures Lennon’s journey from Beatle to activist artist, reminding the world that peace and music remain inseparable.